Nation's top team drops 'Iolani

The force was with the 'Iolani Raiders, but even the home team couldn't keep Quinn Cook from bombing away.

The Raiders battled inside and out against mighty Oak Hill (Va.), but Cook rained in six 3-pointers and finished with 31 points as the nation's top-ranked team won going away, 81-53, last night in the quarterfinals of the 'Iolani Classic.

"Quinn seemed to carry us tonight. He's not a jet, but he can still get by guys," Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said.

High-flying Ben McLemore had 13 points, including a soaring dunk that began just inside the foul line, and versatile Damien Wilson added 12 points.

Cook, a point guard who has committed to Duke, has already demonstrated the best facets of his game. The 6-foot-1 senior had 16 assists in an opening-round win over Moanalua. Then came last night's shooting clinic: 6-for-7 from beyond the arc.

"They went zone, so I got open a couple of times and got myself going," he said. "I got my defender off the dribble and got my teammates involved."

Cook is now averaging 24 points and 11.5 assists per game in the tourney. Though he learned the art of passing from watching Jason Williams, his favorite player is Kobe Bryant.

"He knows when to take over a game or get everyone else involved," Cook said. "He has the killer mentality. I don't have his game, but I try to take his mentality."

That was necessary on a night when 'Iolani's muscle in the paint, along with a 2-3 matchup zone, forced the nation's No. 1 team to exercise patience. 'Iolani had just 11 turnovers against Oak Hill's trapping, man-to-man defense.

"We played their tempo," coach Steve Smith said of his team, which scored 108 points in its tourney opener. "We had a hard time getting sped up."

Oak Hill zoomed to an 11-2 lead, but was sometimes clunky against 'Iolani's zone. A baseline jumper by Duke Pauli brought the Raiders within 19-11 late in the first quarter, but 6-11 A.J. Hammons ended the stanza with a dunk, and Oak Hill went on a 14-4 run.

Trevyn Tulonghari's 3-pointer and baseline floater brought the Raiders within 38-22 before the half. 'Iolani, ranked No. 2 in Hawaii, shot 9-for-25 in the first half, with most of the misses on wide-open perimeter tries.

"Well, I'm never happy to lose, but in preparation for the ILH, this game taught us a lot of things," Raiders coach Dean Shimamoto said. "What we do gets us opportunities, even against the most athletic teams."

By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the TERMS OF SERVICE. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. Because only subscribers are allowed to comment, we have your personal information and are able to contact you. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. To report comments that you believe do not follow our guidelines, email commentfeedback@staradvertiser.com.